Life of the Promised Messiah — Page 69
69 Hazrat Maulvi Abdul-Karim hue of prophethood (may peace and blessings be upon the Prophet of Islam). The mosque of Prophet Muhammad, the Chief of Mankind, was also his royal court where all necessary matters were dealt. If an ascetic in the wilderness, who had broken all ties with the world, and in his own fancy felt that his useless meditation made him a godly man, were to step into the mosque of the Prophet when he was discussing matters of war, and instructing his com- panions to assemble and sharpen their weapons, would he be able to understand that the Holy Prophet sa is so merciful and benevolent that his right to the title ‘A Mercy for Mankind’ was a true claim, and that he was a protector of the rights owed to God and His crea- tion more so than anyone else in the world? Now, in the same manner, there was once an occasion when an individual came to our mosque who was infatuated and accustomed to ascetics and the custodians of shrines seen in the world today. The man was surprised to see the people conversing with His Holiness as so freely and said to him: “There is a lack of respect in your mosque, people speak to you without fear. ” His Holiness as responded: “It is not my practice to sit in a fierce and frightful manner so that people should fear me as they are terrified of a carnivorous beast. I extremely detest the idea of sitting like an idol. I have come to abolish idol worship, not so that I should become an idol myself